Interacting with tortoises?

[Avocado034]

So, its getting warm in New Orleans, so my torts have been spending at least a few hours a day when I am home outside in their little enclosure. My torts are 13 months and 7 months (redfoots) so I think they are too little to be left out unsupervised. I recently read that exersize is important to reduce pyramiding and was wondering if I could let them crawl around in the bathtub or floor of my apartment without stressing them out. I also read that they will crawl until they find somewhere to hide and that having them in open places stresses them out (ie a "pen" with no hiding places."

When they are in their enclosure outside (2 ft x 4 ft or so ish), sometimes they roam around, but mostly then just find deep grass and sleep. I planted some grass from turtlestuff.com in there this week, so hopefully some fresh grass with stimulate them. I also added some rocks and more flower pots for hiding. Sometimes, if I am outside, I will let them out in the lawn outside their cage and they crawl farther and then seem more "awake" and stimulated afterwards, more likely to explore their indoor and outdoor enclosures.

How can I interact with my tortoises and make their life more interesting to ensure that they are getting the correct physical and mental requirements. They still sleep most of the day inside. Any ideas? I am afraid if I am sitting with them in the living room and letting them walk around the floor that they are more scared than interested and just trying to find a place to hide and sleep.

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Madkins007]

Heh, posting this everywhere, huh? Well, I answered on another forum, but the gist of it is...

Baby Red-foots hide, period.

To enrich a Red-foot, try good food- preferably naturally occurring stuff that is chemical-free, and also try a very naturalistic large habitat, preferably outdoors. In general, they can stay outside in an escape- and predator-proof pen when night temps are 70+ (65+ for larger torts.)

I am not in favor of letting them roam indoors- too me, there are too few benefits and too many risks. Drafts, lack of a familiar home territory, poor climate control, germs, stuff it may try to eat, etc., etc., etc.

On the other hand, I have never seen a reliable report linking pyramiding to lack of exercise, only to poor hydration.